It’s been an up and down start to the season for the Raiders offensive line, but more often than not, it feels like Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty are trying to operate behind an offensive line that isn’t winning in the trenches.
The Raiders managed to get a win over the Titans on Sunday, but Jeanty was held to 3.3 yards per carry in the game, and Smith continues to look uncomfortable behind an offensive line that it seems obvious he doesn’t trust.
There are no bad wins in the NFL, but the Raiders need to improve in the trenches if they are going to have success against teams like the Kansas City Chiefs (who they play on Sunday), and flagship radio host ‘JT the Brick’ questioned this week whether the O-line has the personnel to turn things around.
“The offensive line, I think it’s a personnel problem now. I just don’t think some of the players are good enough against decent to above average talent,” JT said on his Raider Nation Radio show.
“Let me repeat that again, so when it gets clipped by someone and they put it out on an internet tweet, it’s said correctly,” JT continued. “Several of the Raiders offensive linemen are not good enough to outplay their opponent.”
“They’re good enough to compete because everybody competes with Pete Carroll. They’re just not good enough. As the great Raider Mort once said, greatest Raider Mort line of all time, ‘They’re just a bunch of guys.’ And we cannot win and we will not win, and we will not be an elite football team with a bunch of guys on the offensive line. We got to find some guys who can play.”
JT mentioned Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson as two players that probably figure to have a future in Las Vegas but described everyone else’s job as “up for audition.”
The good news for the Raiders is they have two mid-round rookies that could eventually be contributors.
Former Texas Tech guard Caleb Rogers and former William & Mary tackle Charles Grant were both drafted by GM John Spytek in the third round, and while they might not be ready now, they should be able to compete for starting jobs beyond this season.
x: @raidersbeat
I just want to say that I think any player on that team where they got drafted this year or whatever they all should have a chance to compete and definitely definitely the office of line needs a lot of work okay we need to be able to block for a Gentry and you know I don’t think you’re both the problem I think the office in line needs to get stronger and be better in your chances and whatever it takes I don’t give any rookies or whatever I’m sure they can learn fast enough to strengthen the mind but we got to be strong we can’t be letting people dominate us I’m not going to go for that I’m I’m Nation fan long live the Raiders and everything else but I want success and I want the office line to to do what they got to do to blockino and to be able to give you the ball and we got to be able to do things I think we got key players we got to get the office in line fixed and I think there’s some people on that line that can be what we need but we got to get them in there and get to get them understand and start working together and that’s why I want to see it happen let’s do this thank you Kenny G from Kansas City Missouri and I don’t like the Kansas City Chiefs and I don’t want them to be pushing us around and get in and suck you know cuz he can’t get away from him fast enough the office line needs to stand up and fight I want you guys to be strong I want to see the block but you don’t give him a chance to throw it a ball give him a chance to stand back there in the pocket and go to the bar like it should be done and give a Jeffrey a chance to run the ball please let’s do this be competitive be a winner be a raider a true raider go inside yourself and learn to be that I have faith in you thank you
WoW Brick… Great observation. The two playersa Carroll loves are Trash!!! The Center gets bulldozed consistently. And Kappa is a Joke. Take a minute out of your busy schedule and watch the film. JPJ is out of position for reasons unknown. The worst aspect of this line is the Coach. Carroll Jr. Is Not a Coach!!! The communication between the players is almost non existent- that is Coaching!!!! Give the kid a check since daddy wa ts him paid but get a Real O-Line Coach!!! This Crap has to stop…
Just my Never too be Humble Opinion.
Why aren’t they ready to play now? They were drafted in the 3rd round, they should be ready to play orthe raiders shouldn’t have drafted them. Another wasted 2 picks in the 3 rd.
Well if that’s the case why are the RAIDERS playing a true LG at the center position & are willing to die on a hill to prove the whole world wrong? These same “bunch of guys” did better last year playing their more natural positions! Seems to Pete, Brenan, and Chip are all saying ‘ man what’s wrong with this ‘SQUARE PEG? IT WON’T FIT INTO THIS ROUND HOLE!’ No matter how much i force it
Good Call !! Also…JPJ should be at Center. The coaches made an early decision and their egos are so big they don’t change things that are clearly the wrong players playing their positions. Carroll and son can get “practice” in REAL” Games but will not overcome BAD Coaching except in a rare win or so.
But why are Roger’s and Gtant not even playing? Why is the rookie class not getting.playing time? This is concerning to say the least. We know the O line sucks but who signed these awful players and then who hand picked the roster? Spytek and Carroll.
Cappa, Parham, Meredith, Forsythe, don’t belong in the NFL, Geno Smith is not a starter in the NFL, Pete Carroll should not be an NFL head coach.
It’s funny to hear JT cry about the OL talent yet Brady’s boys drafted guys that can’t beat them out
I agree that 3rd round picks not contributing is concerning. We are 6 weeks into the season, and that’s a bad sign for Spytek’s evaluation process, which is not the only bad sign of his evaluating. I know Amari Cooper’s bailout was a shock, but it also was a late signing, and it’s apparent there was not a plan in place for that reciever slot, other than the inexperienced “4th” round pick at a skill position. Yet, the “3rd” round picks, linemen, were not expected to contribute. Cappa, we knew the Bengals line sucks, Burrow is hurt all the time, and Cappa was not good enough for them. Now he’s our FA addition to fix things?